The Transport Department said today an additional $20,000 subsidy will be provided to kaito operators for each vessel deployed in kaito services, involving about $1.8 million.

The Government had announced earlier a series of measures to assist the transport sector in coping with the current economic environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kaito operators who are owners of local commercial mechanised vessels are entitled to a one‑off non‑accountable subsidy of $10,000, a vessel licence fee waiver for one year and a one‑off survey fee subsidy.

The pandemic, coupled with the anti-pandemic measures including strict boundary controls and social distancing, has reduced the overall patronage of kaito services and the operating circumstances of certain services may not be improved in the near future, the department noted.

In this regard, the Anti-epidemic Fund will offer an additional one-off non-accountable subsidy of $20,000 to kaito operators for each vessel deployed in kaito services, it added.

The department will issue letters to kaito operators in July to inform them of the application arrangements.

There are a total of 72 kaito routes in Hong Kong. Most of the kaitos do not provide daily transport services for the public. Many of them are intended for tourism or recreational purposes.